Knicks links: Carmelo Anthony has it all, except NBA Title

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/GettyImagesCarmelo Anthony has won titles in high school, college and at the Olympics. So what else does he have to accomplish?

Two gold medals and an NCAA Championship aren't enough for Carmelo Anthony's resume.

The Knicks forward doesn't need to be reminded that Sunday's Team USA win over Spain means more hardware for the mantle, but it barely registers with New Yorkers, who have gone nearly 40 years since their last NBA Title.

There is good news, though.

The Olympic experience forced Anthony to, once again, adjust to different kinds of players and styles of play. He couldn't isolate himself throughout the tournament. He couldn't hoist up fadeaway 3-pointers.

It's not that Anthony hasn't been a team player in New York. It's just that he's never really been asked to change his game. And once in awhile, it's good practice to get out of your comfort zone.

For more, here's NJ.com's aggregation of team news from around the web:

• Anthony knows exactly what his resume is missing, wrote Marc Berman of the New York Post: "Gold medal around his neck following USA’s 107-100 win over gritty Spain, Anthony said the NBA title is the last piece to his resume after winning high school championships, a NCAA championship and two Olympic gold medals... 'It’s the one thing that’s missing is the NBA championship,' Anthony said. 'I had a chance to win in high school, college, now two gold medals. My next goal is try to win a championship.'"

• Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News felt the Americans played an international brand of ball, instead of the familiar NBA style of play: "The Americans have learned over the years how to perform and behave under this sort of spotlight. They share the ball. They understand this isn’t the Garden or the Staples Center. They celebrate joyfully, not boastfully. They put hands over hearts for the anthem. They don’t shove a Spaniard for a flagrant foul. They are perfect ambassadors for the sport – even if James’ newest shoe model, LeBron X, was timed a little too perfectly to debut for the gold-medal game... If at times Olympic basketball has a pre-fab feeling to it, the players swear that is not at all the case. James honestly seemed to enjoy this victory just as much as he did his NBA title."

• As Kobe Bryant told the Associated Press, he probably won't be back in 2016: "Yes, they were Olympic superheroes again, but they had to fight until the finish... 'To do it twice is a special moment,' Carmelo Anthony said. 'As the U.S. men's team, we go through a lot. For us to persevere the way we did is just a special moment for myself and for the guys who are on this team.'... It was Kobe Bryant's last Olympic moment. 'This is it for me,' said Bryant, who scored 17 points and now has a second gold medal to go with his five NBA championships. 'The other guys are good to go.'"<

• As Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wrote, Celtics coach Doc Rivers sees this is a positive for Anthony and the Knicks: "Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who served as an analyst for NBC during the Olympics, said the oft-criticized Anthony can benefit from his big summer in London... 'It gives guys who have struggled a chance to get it back,' Rivers said when speaking about Anthony. 'And they have.'... We'll have to wait a couple of months to see how this all plays out on the NBA hardwood. And, of course, it's unrealistic to expect Anthony to replicate his Olympic numbers with the Knicks. The level of competition is drastically different in the NBA."

• The Post's Page 6 is reporting that Jason Kidd now has two basketball courts to play on in Manhattan: "New Knicks point guard Jason Kidd is moving into a luxury waterfront Upper West Side apartment — with its own basketball court. We are told the star is buying a place at the Aldyn at 60 Riverside Blvd. Apartments start at just under $1 million and go up to $13.9 million for a six-bedroom, six-bath 6,000-square-foot palace. Sources tell us the Trump building is popular with athletic types because it has its own sports club and spa including an indoor pool, golf simulator, basketball and squash courts."